Bringing The Hay Hotline Home

September 11, 1988|By Mike Thomas of the Sentinel Staff

Well, we finally got in touch with Florida's Hay Hotline. We reported last week that nobody answered the hotline number despite our repeated calls. We got the number from a state flyer that recommended we call if we had any ''questions or concerns'' about hay.

We decided to call again late on a Thursday afternoon. And this time,

Joy Towles answered the phone. She works for the Florida Department of Agriculture, and although it was after quitting time, she cheerfully answered all our questions about hay and the hay hotline.

She even said, ''Hey there,'' with a Southern lilt, then giggled.

Last week, we wondered how much hay there is in Florida. Joy didn't know how much there is, but did know that, however much it is, it is enough, which was our next question. We have plenty of hay for our horses and cows and even hay to spare to sell to other states.

We wondered if Shredded Wheat really is shredded hay, and it is not. We wondered if cows really like hay, and Joy said they do

because cows aren't choosy eaters. Horses, however, have been known to turn up their noses at certain kinds of hay, she said.

We wondered about the hotline. Joy said it was set up because of the national drought, as a way to put Midwest farmers who need hay in touch with Florida farmers who have hay to sell. So far, the hotline has received calls from 169 Florida hay farmers with 11,226 1/2 tons of hay to sell.

For now, the Midwest farmers don't need Florida hay. But come December and January, Joy said, there should be plenty of demand for Florida hay as the Midwest cows munch through the more conveniently located grass.